


let yourself be cared for

by MrGrumpyGills43



Series: to be loved [1]
Category: Persona 4
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Parental Abuse, also brief mention of dissociation, just brief mentions, main focus is yu dealing w the abuse, no detail is put into the abuse, the shipping is slight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-30 03:14:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11454798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrGrumpyGills43/pseuds/MrGrumpyGills43
Summary: Yu was wary of Dojima as soon as he caught sight of the scruffy beard and unkempt clothes.He knows a thing or two about shaping a good kid, his mother had said.He’s a detective and a single father, so you might want to be on your best behavior. We don’t want to give him any trouble, do we?





	let yourself be cared for

The flinches and subdued silence that came with Yu Narukami were obvious. Whenever he was in the vicinity of someone pushed to the point of yelling, he shrank into himself. He never spoke first and didn’t put up an argument when he was spoken over. A loud noise caused him to nearly jump out of his seat in apprehension and his gaze was always flickering, noting every possible exit and escape.

He was the victim of abuse, anyone could see. His neglectful parents weren’t different when they were home. Cold with high expectations, they punished Yu for anything that didn’t go with their agenda. A slight mistake such as breaking a porcelain dish left Yu trembling and trying to stifle his tears before _that_ became the issue. Jabs to ‘grow up’ and ‘be responsible’ with no training or help left Yu to research and fend for himself. A part of him was glad that he was an only child, the only one to have to adapt to this lifestyle. A more selfish, demented part of him wished he wasn’t alone and didn’t have to suffer by himself.

Then he was shipped to Inaba, his punishment for being late for curfew by ten minutes. His excuse of ‘ _It started raining and I didn’t want to trouble you by getting sick_ ’ fell on deaf ears. Their silence was what he feared the most that night. He knew with silence came harsher disciplines. Yelling and threatening he could withstand, it was normal for him to face one if not both daily, but silence brought absurd forms of torture and results of the threats.

Yu was wary of Dojima as soon as he caught sight of the scruffy beard and unkempt clothes. _He knows a thing or two about shaping a good kid_ , his mother had said. _He’s a detective and a single father, so you might want to be on your best behavior. We don’t want to give him any trouble, do we?_

The first week was tense, Yu attempting to fit in with the new lifestyle as much as he could. Little Nanako was shy at first, but quickly grew interested in her quiet cousin. His short and clipped answers did little to deter her curious questions. It wasn’t long before an uncomfortable Yu was adopted as Nanako’s older brother. He tried to not show his excitement from being _wanted_ and _adored_ show too often when Dojima was around. Adults weren’t to be trusted. He learned that the hard way after going to multiple teachers and therapists to try and seek help. They turned a blind eye and ear to anyone who wasn’t a legal adult. After all, teenagers are liars and rebels at heart, anyone could tell you that.

Still, despite his initial fear, Dojima managed to become the first adult that Yu felt like he could... trust. From late night personal talks when Nanako was asleep to simple ‘How was your day?’ conversations, Dojima earned himself a spot inside of Yu’s protective wall. The detective didn’t pry or question about Yu’s previous home life, even when the boy showed the signs of the abuse he had been through. The unspoken respect and trust that Dojima gave him meant more than anything, but the reminder his mother gave to not burden her brother stayed strong. Yu decided to continue to keep his secret, if nothing more than to not be a burden.

School was a different topic. Classmates and teachers alike poked their heads into the class of 2-2 to get a good look at the transfer student. In a small city like Inaba, news spread fast, and everyone was excited to become friends with the new kid. After a while, their faces and names blurred together. No matter how he tried, Yu couldn’t remember more than a handful of people, specifically the students that sat around his desk: Chie, Yukiko, and Yosuke.

Chie and Yosuke were quick to try and befriend Yu with Yukiko pitching in whenever she wasn’t working at the inn. It didn’t take long for the trio to cement their bond when they were sucked inside the TV world and Yu summoned a persona- Izanagi. They didn’t stop returning even with the air tense with back-to-back murders. Chie dove in as soon as they saw Yukiko on the Midnight Channel, determined to save her best friend no matter the consequences.

The number of their rag-tag gang grew until Kanji, Teddie, Rise, and Naoto became irreplaceable pieces in the game. Dubbed the Investigation Team, they were all determined to find the killer. Somehow Yu had become the leader, his power to control multiple personas making him more powerful than the others.

Then Nanako was taken.

From staring emptily into space and trying to save his cousin, no, _sister_ , Yu missed the fact that Izanagi was no longer buzzing around in his mind. He pushed forward, determined to save Nanako the first time they went into the TV world. Fate had other plans in mind.

It was unmistakeable that the shadow in front of them was Yu’s. The grey hair and monotone clothing made sure of that, but his disposition said the complete opposite. The shadow was looking around with large, scared eyes as it shrunk into itself defensively. Once it laid its eyes on Yu, it snarled through tears. “You’re weak. You don’t care about saving Nanako, you just want to prove to _them_ that you’re worth something. You want to protect her, sure, but how can you save her when you can’t even save yourself?”

Questioning gazes flickered to Yu and then to his shadow, confused about where the shadow was aiming at. Yu’s hands shook at his sides, and he dropped his sword almost unconsciously. “No, that’s not-”

“Be quiet!” The fury and fear behind the demand made the once-brave leader flinch, taking a step back as he did so. “They could be listening, hearing, waiting to attack when they know you’re at your weakest. Of course, they can get you whenever and have it hurt.” It paused, angrily rubbing tears out of his eyes. “Nanako-chan would be devastated to learn how much of a fuck-up you are. Really, how could anyone here respect you after gaining the knowledge that you let your parents hurt you. You _let_ them abuse you, you _let_ them say whatever they want about you. You’re just a puppet for them to play with.” Muffled gasps escaped his friends at the reveal, save for Yosuke who glared with a burning hot fury at the shadow.

Yu opened his mouth to reply, only for the shadow to wave him off easily. “Really, the only reason you’re upset at this situation is because you lost what little control you had. You’ve always been under the control of your parents, and the rush that having that power gave you...” The shadow laughed, its smile twisting Yu’s face into something cruel and unlike him. “It made you feel invincible, unstoppable. You don’t care about Nanako or anyone else, you just want that power.”

It was only the factor of having been through a similar type of situation many times that kept Yu from combating the shadow’s claims. He grit his teeth and dared to lock eyes with himself. “Yeah, I liked having control after years of not having it, but I’m not doing this just to get it back. I _want_ to save Nanako no matter how powerless I am. I _want_ to prove to them that I’m worth something. I don’t want to put Nanako through the pain of knowing that I’m being hurt by my parents. I can’t control what they do, only how _I_ react and how _I_ treat others.”

The shadow calmed at this, huffing its complaint as it came down to Yu’s level. “I hate how accepting you are. You accept the abuse as fair punishment, accept everyone even knowing their faults, accept me without even breaking a sweat.” Yellow eyes met grey in a final dare, to try and push Yu to deny the truth.

He hesitated, but stuck out his hand anyway. “Someone has to take that first step. I’m okay with it being me if it saves others the pain. Whatever the case, I am you, and you are me.”

It was over fast, but it took enough out of Yu emotionally to make him fall to his knees. Yosuke was the first over, catching Yu before the rest of him hit the ground. Soft murmurs of “I got you, partner,” and “It’s okay, you’re safe here,” were felt more than heard as Teddie warped the group back to the stack of TVs.

“Nanako... we have to save Nanako,” Yu muttered, weakly tugging at Yosuke’s sleeve.

At this, Teddie’s ears perked up and he turned back to the group’s leader. “I know you want to save her now, Sensei, but Nana-chan is strong! She can take one more night in here while you rest up.”

“Yeah, Ted’s right. She takes after you a lot, Senpai,” Kanji affirmed. “Besides, I would think she’d want to see you take care of yourself.”

The rest of the group agreed, talking over each other to reassure Yu that it was okay. Love radiated from every angle possible, and Yu quickly became overwhelmed. It was too much to take in at once, especially after having his secret revealed so suddenly.

Yosuke didn’t miss the change in Yu’s demeanor, clearing his throat to get everyone’s attention. “For now, I think it’s best that we get out of here. I’ll take care of Yu and everyone can rest or relax.”

“Why don’t I take care of Senpai for you, Yosuke-senpai?” Rise’s voice pitched up in her obvious eagerness to spend time alone with Yu. “If I remember correctly, you have a shift at Junes soon, right? I don’t want you to have to get in trouble for helping a friend.”

Yu felt Yosuke tighten his grip around his waist, unseen by the other members of the Investigation Team. “It’s fine. I can have Teddie cover for me. If my dad notices, then that’s my problem that I can take care of later.”

Rise deflated, but didn’t argue. She left the TV world first, followed by Yosuke and Yu then the rest of the group. Separate conversations left everyone to drift off into smaller pairs until it was just the two partners, Yu leaning heavily on Yosuke. The taller boy tried to stand on his own only to almost pull Yosuke down with him.

The smile that Yosuke gave him was comforting and warm, he didn’t have the energy to resist it. “C’mon, I’ll give you a piggyback to your house and make you something to eat.”

Unable to resist, Yu allowed himself to be carried by Yosuke. He wanted to ask why Yosuke was suddenly so okay with public touches like this or why he was so adamant about being the one to take care of Yu, but didn’t have enough willpower to speak up. The walk eased Yu into a light sleep, not being awoken until Yosuke was well into cooking dinner.

Curling into a tight ball, Yu turned his back to his best friend. _You don’t deserve this_ , a vicious voice whispered- one reminiscent of his mother. _You did nothing to earn this, you didn’t even try to save Nanako today. You don’t deserve his kindness._

A bowl being set down on the kotatsu in front of Yu startled him out of his thoughts. A second one quickly followed along with Yosuke. The brunet was all gentle touches and looks as he reached his hand out as a support. “Time to eat, Yu. You need your strength if you want to go in the TV world tomorrow.”

Once settled, Yu stared glassy-eyed at the scene in front of him. “Why... why are you doing this for me?” He asked quietly, beginning to fold in on himself. “I’m not... not worth any trouble, really. I can take care of myself, partner.”

“I know you can, but sometimes it’s better to let someone else take care of you.” Yosuke hesitated, scratching the back of his head. “You deserve that if anything. You’ve had no one else for the longest time so just... let yourself go and I’ll make sure that you’re safe.”

Almost all at once, the tension in Yu’s shoulders dissolved and he slumped over. A closed hand over his mouth did little to stop the sobs. He didn’t fully register the arms that were wrapped around him, or the hand that was running through his hair over and over.

The duo stayed like that for a while, until Yu had calmed. They only broke apart due to a red Yosuke’s stomach growling. He pulled back with an embarrassed grin. “We should eat before we head to bed...”

The cold ramen was the best thing Yu had ever tasted.

\--

Nanako was saved the next day and Adachi was stopped just a few days after. Watching Adachi be walked away in handcuffs, Yu felt a twinge of sympathy for the man. From what it sounded, his situation was somewhat similar to his own, but he didn’t have anyone to help him heal.

Things went back to normal quickly, with the exception that Yosuke was overly affectionate and protective at times over Yu. He didn’t mind in the least though, it was nice to not have to depend solely on himself.

Time ticked by as did the deadline for Yu’s stay in Inaba. The closer the date came, the more he began to withdraw into himself. It was unfair to the others, but he didn’t want to give his parents anymore leverage than they already had over him.

It wasn’t until Yosuke was over watching a quiz show with Yu and Nanako that things finally came to a climax. Sharp knocks sounded on the door and Dojima, having been reading a book away from the trio, got up to answer it. Clipped and stern voices carried through the small house and Yu froze in the middle of his sentence, his heart jumping into his throat.

“Yu, come give your mother a hug.” The false honeyed voice grew closer, revealing a woman who looked nothing yet exactly like Dojima. Her black hair was tied back in a tight bun and she walked with a dangerously confident swagger. Close behind her was a man with silver hair and glasses, presumably the father of Yu.

Before the woman could take a step closer, Yosuke was up and using himself as a block between Yu and his parents. The brunet’s hands were clenched at his sides and he glared directly at the couple. “You are not going to touch Yu, or even speak to him unless it’s an apology. Neither of you are getting a hug or even a greeting. Apologize or leave.”

The shocked silence was over fast, Yu’s mother’s face expressing annoyance rather than remorse. “I’m sorry, but who are you to demand these things of us? Yu can speak for himself, and I’m sure that he wants to come and give us both a hug. This was supposed to be a pleasant surprise, but with _you_ here it won’t stay that way.”

The unspoken threat hit Yu hard, and he reached a shaking hand to his best friend, his partner. “It-it-it’s okay, Yosuke. I’m okay, please don’t upset them.”

Nanako chose this moment to speak up, her childishness not dampening her perceptiveness. “Dad, why is Yosuke-nii protecting Big Bro? Are Aunt Mirin and Uncle Izo hurting him? I don’t want him to go back if they’re hurting him.” Her tone grew increasingly distressed as she latched onto Yu. “Don’t be scared, Big Bro. Yosuke-nii and Daddy will protect us.”

His daughter’s observations seemingly shook Dojima out of his trance and he took a post next to Yosuke. Yu clutched onto his cousin and best friend for dear life, his secret bursting forth into a palpable tension in the room. He didn’t realize his uncle was talking until he felt Nanako tighten her grip on him. “... and I don’t know what it is exactly you’ve been doing to Yu, but there’s one thing for sure: he isn’t going back to the city with you. I want you to leave my house and stay away from him.”

Relief brought out a giddy sob from Yu. It was interrupted as the familiar sound of his mother slapping someone filled his ears. His glance up revealed Yosuke holding his cheek while his mother yelled hysterically at the youth. Dojima was the first to move, putting his mother in handcuffs and reading her her rights. Nanako was crying into his shoulder and his father, his father was slowly edging out of the room. Everything was happening too much, too fast and Yu felt himself mentally leave the scene, going to a spot he created that made him feel safe.

Dojima ushered both of Yu’s parents into the back of his squad car, giving Yosuke firm instructions to “make sure Nanako and Yu are okay,” before heading off.

It wasn’t hard to ease Nanako’s crying by assuring that Yu was safe and his parents were in big, big trouble. Yosuke managed to convince her to go draw something to make Yu feel better, to give him time to take care of his partner.

Off in a different mental space, it took a while for Yu to even pay attention to the help his best friend was offering. He didn’t know how long he spent spaced out, only that Yosuke had grabbed his hand sometime in the process and was holding Yu in an awkward half-hug. It was quiet save for the TV that no one was watching. Reflexively, Yu tightened his grip around Yosuke’s hand before moving to a more comfortable position for them both.

Surprised by the sudden change in consciousness, Yosuke smiled warmly at Yu and squeezed his hand back. “Hey, partner. How are you, uh, feeling?”

Yu shook his head, dread building up in the pit of his stomach. “I don’t want to go with them. I want to stay here, but there’s only so much that everyone can do. What if Dojima can’t...” He trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought.

“Abuse and assault are illegal, your mother being guilty of both and your father one. Dojima is going to make sure that you don’t ever go back to living with them.” A soft kiss was placed on the top of Yu’s head before being replaced by Yosuke’s chin. “I’ll make sure of it, too. What they’ve done to you... No one should have to go through that.”

As if on cue, Nanako came running into the room, a picture in her hand. “Big Bro, I drew this for you!” She waited for Yu to look up before proudly presenting her artwork. It showed Nanako, Dojima, and Yu all standing around a house. “It’s us! Daddy, you, and me, all living together happy and safe.”

Tears snuck out of Yu’s eyes, his face erupting into the biggest smile he could manage. “I love it, Nanako. I’ll have to get it framed so that I can put it on my nightstand.”

The rest of the night dissolved into easygoing chatter, Nanako and Yosuke working hard to make Yu feel better at any costs.

\--

“I have complete custody over you until you turn eighteen. There will be a trial that you’ll have to speak against your parents at, along with me and Yosuke, but you won’t have to see them again after that,” Dojima spoke clearly, rubbing his head as if to sooth a headache. “I’m sorry that I never noticed sooner, Yu. I can’t imagine what it’s like to not have any outside help.”

Yu sat quietly, wishing he had paper to fold cranes as a distraction. He still felt bad, feeling like a burden on his uncle. It was the main thing his mother warned him about and what he tried to avoid. After a few beats of silence, he cleared his throat and finally voiced his opinion. “I don’t want to cause you trouble, Dojima-san. I can pay my part of the rent or cook dinner every night or-”

A wave of the hand cut him off, Dojima looking confused more than angry. “I’m not gonna force you to do anything, Yu. You’re family and still a kid. Just live your life and have fun with your friends and I’ll be happy. Well, as long as you stay out of trouble and don’t go back to swinging swords around at Junes. Nanako looks up to you and I don’t want her in trouble either, you get me?”

Nodding feverishly, Yu bowed slightly. The feeling of freedom was new for him, as was it terrifying. He knew on some level Dojima would never take it just as soon as he gave it, but the fear was there nonetheless. “Yes, sir,” he muttered, trying to put on some air of happiness.

“Baby steps, Yu. I’m not going to hurt you and I’m going to make sure no one else does. That Hanamura kid seems to be the same way. When he stood up to your parents, well it was enough to move me if anything. You’re in good hands. They aren’t coming back for you.”

The tension in Yu’s shoulders felt like it had been ripped out of him as he nodded again, this time looking at Dojima as he did so. “Yeah, Yosuke is... Thank you for all of this, Dojima. It means a lot.”

“Don’t sweat it, kid. You deserve a break.” A knock at the door cut off whatever else Dojima had to say and he gave a tight smile. “Speak of the devil. Go hang out with your friend, Yu.”

Getting to his feet in what he hoped didn’t look like a hurry, Yu felt his chest warm. This was what it was like to be loved. It was new and frightening, but he liked the feeling of it.

He was home.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for taking the time to read this! this was more of a vent fic for me as I've been struggling with some things lately. every comment, kudos, etc. is appreciated! 
> 
> hmu on kermeme on tumblr if you want to request a fic or just talk!


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